The waste disposal site proposed for Dresden will be subject to a full and comprehensive environmental assessment.
The Municipality of Chatham-Kent made the announcement on Tuesday morning, saying the Lieutenant Governor in Council has decided to designate the proposed landfill project as a Part II.3 project under the Environmental Assessment Act in response to concerns voiced by CK Council and citizens.
"As part of the ruling, York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. is now required to complete a comprehensive environmental assessment process for the proposed project before it can be implemented," wrote the municipality in a news release. "The comprehensive environmental assessment process is the highest level of environmental assessment in Ontario."
The process requires potential environmental impacts to be assessed and public consultation, according to municipal officials.
The municipality also said the Minister of the Environment, Conservation, and Parks must make a decision and the Lieutenant Governor in Council must approve the waste disposal facility before it can proceed.
“The ruling by the Lieutenant Governor regarding the proposed landfill in Dresden is excellent news for Dresden and for all of Chatham-Kent,” said Mayor Darrin Canniff. “The response from the community of Dresden has been nothing short of inspiring. They have presented a unified voice through petitions, signs, submissions, and deputations to Municipal Council. The comprehensive environmental assessment process that is now required is a direct result of a community that has come together to speak up for what they believe in.”
York1 Environmental Waste Solutions Ltd. wants to resume landfill operations and expand on-site waste handling, processing, and transfer operations at the site, formerly known as the Dresden Tile Yard.
A letter dated June 28, 2024 to Mayor Canniff from the Director of the Environmental Assessment Branch Kathleen O’Neill stated the proponent is now required to complete a comprehensive environmental assessment for the proposed project before it can be implemented.
"We heard concerns from the public about this proposed project, and we recognize the potential impact that a project of this size could have on local residents and the surrounding environment," wrote O'Neill.
The municipality previously wrote to the province saying the technical experts they've hired have concluded there's a lack of information and supporting studies, such as traffic, noise, air quality, dust, odour, and landfill gas impacts, along with geotechnical and hydrogeological assessments.
The letter from the municipality also suggested York1 is "mischaracterizing a major new landfill proposal as a continuation an existing landfill facility," adding that York1 is proposing a new 1.6 million cubic metre facility to serve the entire province.